August 2023

Program evaluation using an empirically-validated instrument like the Traumatic Stress Institute’s Online ARTIC Scale (ARTIC stands for Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care) gives you insight into whether the training modality you choose is effective for your staff/agency. “Trauma-informed care” has become a commonly-used term in healthcare settings as research further supports the impact that past trauma has on an individual’s ability to cope with stress (Gokhale et al., 2020). While...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma , Emily speaks with Jac O'Keeffe, President and founding member of the Association for Spiritual Integrity (ASI), an organization committed to bringing higher levels of integrity to the culture of spiritual leadership. The pair discuss Jac’s educational and spiritual evolution, the role of empathy and accountability within ASI’s anti-authoritarian model, spiritual bypass, and the link between agency, trauma healing, and personal divinity. The impact of...

"My name is Cassandra and at the age of 12, on July 29th 2014, I lost my father to a drug poisoning*. I can't fully explain the impact this has had on me, because for most of my life, the stigma of substance use encouraged me to do everything I could to prevent the outside from looking in, ensuring I didn’t talk about it. But today, I’m talking and using my voice to advocate for other youth who cannot, yet, talk. " Read full blog here August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day, the...

Use of the term “compliance” instead of “adherence” by healthcare regulatory entities and organizations, plus practitioners, health systems and their and employees condones the blaming of patients for poor outcomes. It’s time to change this practice!

Trauma-informed care has been around for awhile... There is no real universal definition of the approach so here is how I explain it: We used to hold a narrow understanding of trauma thinking it was only the minority of the population that experienced trauma. We used to think trauma-informed care was only reserved for mental health and healthcare providers providing specific trauma interventions. What we now know is that virtually everyone has experienced trauma. We know for a fact that...

Many individuals agree that the suicide rates for older adults age 60 and above continue to increase. There are many aspects of life that determine the thought of suicide in older patients. Depression is a significant cause of suicide, as this population is unable to enjoy life as a result of burdensome health issues, reoccurring death, and the lack of independence and respect. Providers should taken into consideration the physical and mental aspects of providing services to older adults...

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16 Strong Project is excited to be recruiting for our Youth Advocacy Board! Applications are due by Friday, September 8th! Our goal is to involve youth in our program and resource development as well as provide guidance to this group to be leaders and advocates around ACEs and PACEs in their own schools and communities. Together, we are combatting the youth mental health crisis by empowering youth leaders and uplifting youth voices. We are looking for a group of creative, resourceful,...

A look back from a future in which racism is no more—inspiring us to start taking positive action today. "It's the year 2050… and racism has ended." Could this really be our future? If so, what has to happen now to achieve such a radical change? In How We Ended Racism , Justin Michael Williams and Shelly Tygielski reveal a path for real and lasting global impact—not just talking about it, studying it, or making small steps, but actually ending racism in one generation. Written for...

The bicycle lanes on Kottbusser Damm in Berlin started as a pop-up and have since been made permanent. Credit: Dan Gearino By Dan Gearino, Inside Climate News, August 24, 2023 One of my first impressions upon returning to Berlin after four years was that there were more bicycles than before. Bicycles were just about everywhere, on streets and sidewalks, in parks and carried onto trains. The growth of bicycle traffic followed two big events. First was a law passed in 2018 by the equivalent of...

“Gun violence prevention isn’t in my job title, but so much of my work involves me helping young people cope with and curb community violence,” writes LaToya Winton of Communities In Schools of Chicago. Above, attendees of a 2018 rally to bring attention to gun violence in Chicago. John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images By La Toya Winton, Chalkbeat Chicago, August 18, 2023 Half of Chicagoans will witness a shooting before they turn 40. And the average age of a...